A War Story

In 1997, after Osama bin Laden publicly declared war on the United States, Pulitzer Prize winning CNN correspondent Peter Arnett went searching for an opportunity to interview him. A War Story traces the tense months that led up to that effort, using staged reconstructions alongside archival footage to show how Arnett tried to locate bin Laden, secure access, and shape the report for a global audience. The film also looks at Arnett at home with his wife Elsa, showing how professional choices affected their private life. Actors inhabit the roles of historical figures to make the reenactments feel immediate. When September 11 arrives, earlier warnings and veiled threats take on terrifying clarity and spark public debate.

Directed by John Laing and written by Dean Parker, the 2018 film dramatizes real events from Arnett's career, blending documentary material with staged scenes. John Leigh stars as Peter Arnett, with George Kanaan portraying Osama bin Laden among the ensemble.

It opened on a limited number of screens and did not register mainstream commercial success. Box office reports are sparse, indicating a small theatrical window, festival circulation, and subsequent availability on specialized streaming platforms and home media, plus niche VOD.

By returning to Arnett's interview and its aftermath, the film prompts reflection on media responsibility and how journalists engage with controversial figures. It connects to larger conversations about press access, the public's right to know, the lasting fallout of pre-9/11 reporting choices, and renewed interest in journalists' legacies over time.

Viewers and critics who encountered the film commented on its focus on ethical gray areas in frontline reporting and the emotional cost to a reporter whose work became entangled with history. Major themes include accountability, memory, the ethics of access, and the personal consequences of pursuing a dangerous story today.